Basketball replay device



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ATTORNEYS.

R. w. PAscuccl BASKETBALL REPLAY DEVICE May 27, 1969 May 27, 1969 R. w.PAscuccl v BASKETBALL REPLAY DEVICE e of2 Sheet Filed Aug. 11, 1966NVEN'IOR.

RONALD W. PASCUCCI ATTORNEYS,

United States Patent O ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An upright shaft ismounted in a receptacle having an open top for receiving a basketball,The shaft is revolved by a belt and pulley drive actuated by an electricmotor. An ejector arm is mounted on the shaft for rocking movement abouta horizontal axis. The ejector arm has a tail which carries a camfollower that engages a stationary cam. The ejector arm rotates with theshaft to spin a ball tossed into the basket, and the cam followertravels over the cam surface to rock the ejector arm as required toeject the ball from the basket.

This invention relates to a basketball replay device.

An important skill that a basketball player must develop to beproficient at the game is that of recovering the ball on the rebound andscoring after an unsuccessful attempt is made to score. Therefore, aplayer spends much time practicing rebounding, either by himself or asone of a group of players. If the player is practicing by himself, heshoots for the basket, and if he fails to score, he recovers the ball onthe rebound and again attempts to score. If a group of players ispracticing, one player shoots for the basket, and if he fails to score,the next following player recovers the ball on the rebound and attemptsto score. This procedure suffers from certain inherent disadvantages.When the player scores, there is no rebound. Thus rebound practice istemporarily interrupted, and there is a loss of rebound practice time.In addition, if the coach is to judge the condition of the group ofplayers as a whole, someone must keep score, which is inconvenient andnot always practical. Accordingly, a principal object of the presentinvention is to provide a basketball replay device which repeatedlyejects a ball tossed thereinto and thereby facilitates the practice ofrebounding.

.Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which spinsa .ball tossed thereinto and thereby causes the ball to be ejected eachtime in a different direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device whichautomatically indicates when the the number of times a ball is tossedthereinto,

Other objects of the invention will become apparent when the followingdescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a device constructed inaccordance with the present invention, mounted in position, ready foruse;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged plan View of the device, as indicated bylineII-II in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section on line III- III in FIGURE 2, showingthe device cocked for action;

FIGURE 4 is a section on line IV-IV in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a section on line V-V in FIGURE 3.

It will be understood that the following description is directed to thespecific embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings. It is notdirected to the scope of the invention, which may be practiced in avariety of forms.

3,446,504 Patented May 27, 1969 Referring to the draw-ings, 10 is avertically extending backboard mounting a bracket 12 which carries ahoop 14 from which there depends a net 16. Inserted through the hoop 14and extending into the net 16 is a replay device, generally designated18. The device comprises a receptacle 20` provided with an uppercylindrical section 22 and a lower tapered section 24. The top of thereceptacle is open, and the bottom of the receptacle is closed by across-axially extending plate 26. The receptacle is suspended from thehoop 16 by means of three Circumferentially equally spaced hooks 28.

Circumferentially equally spaced within the lower tapered portion 24 ofthe receptacle 20` are three clips 30 secured to the receptacle by meansof screws 32. The clips 30 carry a mounting plate 34 disposed inoverlying spaced relation to the plate 26. Seated centrally upon themounting plate 34 -is a bearing 36 provided with a radially outwardlyextending ilange 40 secured to the mounting plate by means 0f aplurality of screws 42. The bearing 36 includes a bushing 44 throughwhich there extends a reduced diameter lower end portion 46 of arevolvable member 48. At the upper end of the reduced diameter lower endportion 46 of the revolvable member 48 is .an annular shoulder 50 seatedupon the upper end of the bushing 44. At the upper end of the revolvablemember 48 is a ball positoning plate 51 provided with a central area 53and a pair of up-turned wing areas 55. The plate 51 is secured to therevolvable member 48 by means of screws 57. A pulley 52 is atlxed to thelower extremity of the revolvable member 48 by means of a nut 54. A belt56 is trained about the pulley 52 and about a drive pulley -58 mountedupon the motor shaft 60 of an electric motor 62 secured to the mountingplate 34 by means of screws 64. Extending from a suitable source ofelectric power to the motor 62 are a pair of wire conductors 66.

An ejector arm 68 carried by the revolvable member 48 is provided withlaterally spaced branches 70 connected by a part 72 from which thereextends a tail 74. The branches 70 carry a crossbar 76 upon which isseated a kicker plate 78 secured by screws 80. The branches 70 aredisposed respectively on opposite sides of the revolvable member 48, anda pin 81 extends through the branches 70 and the revolvable member 48.The ejector arm may rock about the axis of the pin 81. A cam member,designated 82, is secured by a clamp 84 and screws 86 to the bearing 36.The cam is provided with a low point 88, and the cam edge graduallyrises from the low point 88 to a high point 90. For an angular distanceof about 90 degrees about the revolvable member 48 the cam edge isdisposed substantially vertically. Thereafter, it gradually slopesupwardly and inwardly toward the axis of the revolvable member 48, asshown. The tail 74 of the ejector arm 68 carries a cam follower in theform of a roller 92 mounted on a pin 94. Extending laterally outwardlyrespectively from the branches 70 of the ejector arm 68 are a pair ofcoaxially aligned pins 96 to which are connected corresponding ends of apair of tension coil springs 98. The free ends of the springs 98 areconnected to coaxially aligned pins 100 extending laterally outwardly inopposite directions from the revolvable member 48.

Wire conductors 102 from conventional score indicating means (not shown)are connected to an annular plate conductor 104 and an annular plateconductor 105 underlying the pulley 52 and separated from the plate 26of the receptacle 20 by insulation 106. Brush elements 108 dependingfrom the pulley 52 respectively engage lthe conductors 104 and 105 andare separated from the pulley 52 by insulation 110. The brushes 108 areconnected by a pair of wire conductors 112,

which extend through a conduit 114 housed within the hollow interior ofthe revolvable member 48, to an electric switch 116 mounted upon theball positioning plate 51 by means of the screws S7. The switch 116 isprovided with a button head 118 for a purpose to appear.

In the operation of the replay device, conductors 66 are connected to asuitable source of electric power, which actuates the motor 62. The beltand pulley drive 58, 56, 52 actuates the revolvable member 48, whichturns continuously in bushing 44 at the rate of approximately 17 r.p.m.The ball positioning plate 51 turns with the revolvable member 48 andspins an overlying ball B.

As shown, arm 68 is cocked for action, e.g., the cam follower roller 92is on the high point 90 of the cam 82, holding the arm 68 in theposition shown in full lines against the influence of springs 98. Thearm 68 turns with the revolvable member 48 and the positioning plate 51.Referring to FIGURE 4, the direction of rotation about the axis f therevolvable member 48 is counterclockwise, as indicated by the arrows.When the cam follower 92 leaves the high point 90 of the cam 82, thesprings 98 immediately and abruptly rock the arm 68 counterclockwise, asviewed in FIGURE 3, from the full line to the broken line positionthereof. The inner edge of the plate 78 strikes a shock absorbing bumper120 made of rubber and mounted upon the.

revolvable member 48, thereby stopping the roller 92 just short of theclamp 84. Thereafter, the roller 92 moves about the clamp 84 in closespaced relation thereto and finally engages a low point of the cam 82.The roller 92 then moves over the cam edge and rises to the high point90 of the cam, gradually storing energy in the springs 98 for recockingthe arm 68. When a ball is tossed into the receptacle 20, it engages thepositioning plate 51 and is spun thereby about the axis of therevolvable member 48. When the arm 68 is released, the plate 78 strikesthe bottom of the ball and ejects it from the receptacle 20. Since theball is spinning, the direction in which it is discharged from thereceptacle is unpredictable. A ball seated on the plate 51 presses thebutton 118, closing the circuit to the score indicating means. Thecircuit is reopened when the ball is ejected.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination comprising a receptacle with an open top forreceiving a basketball, means operable for spinning a basketball tossedinto said receptacle through the open top thereof, and means responsiveto and drivable by said spinning means for ejecting the spinningbasketball from said receptacle through the open top thereof.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the means for spinningthe basketball includes an upright revolvable member, means affixed tosaid revolvable member and serving to position a basketball tossed intosaid receptacle, and means for actuating said revolvable member.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein the revolvable member isjournaled in a member carried by the receptacle, the positioning meansis mounted upon the upper end portion of said revolvable member, and themeans for actuating said revolvable member includes a driven member onthe lower extremity of said revolvable member.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein the driven member on thelower extremity of the revolvable member is a pulley, and a belt andmotor driven drive pulley are provided for actuating said driven pulley,

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the ball ejecting meansincludes a member mounted for moving between a cocked position and aball ejecting position, means for cocking said arm, and means forquick-releasably holding said arm in cocked position.

6. The combination comprising a receptacle with an open top forreceiving a basketball, means operable for spinning a basketball tossedinto said receptacle through the open top thereof, and means forejecting the spinning basketball from said receptacle through the opentop thereof, wherein the ball ejecting means includes an ar'm mountedupon the revolvable member for rocking between a cocked position andball ejecting position, spring means biasing said arm toward ballejecting position, and means operable for cocking said arm andquickreleasably holding the same in cocked position against the inuenceof said spring means.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein the means for cockingthe arm includes a stationarily mounted member provided with a cam edge,and one end of said arm operatively engages said cam edge and travelsthereover from the low to the high point thereof as the revolvablemember turns, thus cocking said arm against the influence of the springbias.

8. The combination according to claim 6 wherein the low point of the camedge is on one side of the revolvable member, the cam edge risesgradually from said low point to the high point on the opposite side ofthe revolvable member preparatory to a sharp drop from said cam edge toeffect quick-release of said arm, and means is provided for absorbingthe shock induced by said sharp drop and quick-release.

9. The combination according to claim 1 wherein means is provided forautomatically indicating the score.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein the score indicationmeans includes an electric switch connected in electric circuit with acounter; said switch being disposed at the upper end of the revolvablemember for being actuated by a basketball tossed into the receptacle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 943,494 12/1909 Venn et al.124-41 X 2,808,264 10/1957 Scalf 273-15 3,105,683 lll/1963 Kimbrell273-15 3,137,503 6/1964 Ballard 273-15 3,310,312 3/1967 Peeples.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 124-16; 273-179

